I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Dispatcher by John Scalzi Published by Subterranean Press on May 31 2017
Genres: Adult, Science fiction
Pages: 136
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: An awesome sci-fi concept with limitless possibilities, with plenty of action and emotion to make this a novella you won’t want to miss.
“I know what side of the street I like better. But you don’t always get to choose the side of the street you walk on.” ~ Tony Valdez
This may be a science fiction tale with a really cool concept—when someone is murdered, their body disappears (poof!) and pops up later in their home, naked and fully alive and unharmed—but the above quote is what this story is really about. Scalzi has written a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking novella that explores ideas like loyalty, revenge, and the moral implications of being able to commit murder without consequences. I’ve been in the mood for shorter fiction lately—having the attention span of a gnat these days, what with all the stuff going on in my life—so Scalzi’s latest was just what I needed.
Tony Valdez is a Dispatcher, a professional who is hired to kill people. But he’s not your traditional hit man. You see, about ten years ago or so, it was discovered that murdering someone resulted in that person coming back to life. If they died of an accident, illness, natural causes or suicide, the person would stay dead. But murder? Not so much. This has led to guys like Tony being hired to keep watch over, for example, patients undergoing tricky surgeries who may not make it. If it looks like the surgery is about to go south, Tony steps in, delivers a fatal “payload” to the patient, and a few seconds later, the patient winds up back in his own home, alive and well. Tony makes a good living at dispatching, even though he occasionally grapples with the moral aspects of what he’s doing.
But one day, a fellow Dispatcher named Jimmy turns up missing, and Tony is asked by the detective in charge to aid in the investigation. Their twisty journey to discover the truth about Jimmy leads them to some unexpected people and places, where not everyone plays by the rules.
Although I’m calling this “science fiction,” what I loved about this story is that Scalzi completely skips over the reasons for why people come back after they’re murdered, and it actually didn’t bother me at all. No one really knows why this happens, they just accept it at face value. It was refreshing to read a story that doesn’t need to delve into a bunch of scientific jargon in order to explain something strange. It is what it is, that’s Scalzi’s approach, and it worked for me.
What he does take time to explain, however, are all the social and emotional ramifications of being able to murder someone without consequences. Tony makes big bucks as a Dispatcher, and he’s convinced himself that he’s actually helping people by murdering them. And as commonplace as Dispatchers are, people are still freaked out by the whole experience, and many don’t even like Dispatchers. When I found out what happened to Jimmy, and the events leading up to his disappearance, I was surprised at the emotional impact it had on me. Scalzi does a great job of layering his story so that those emotions come out of nowhere. It’s one reason I keep going back to his books.
There are some shocking moments in The Dispatcher as well as emotional ones, I was happy to discover. Because who doesn’t love being shocked?? There is one particularly delightful scene with an elevator shaft that…well, you’re just going to have to read the book for yourself. After you have, we can both cackle with glee over how brilliant it was!
The book has illustrations by Vincent Chong scattered throughout—even my eARC had them, and I thought they were a wonderful addition to the story. I’m tempted to buy a hardcover so I can look at them more closely. You can check out the illustrations on Chong’s website here.
And I can’t end this review without saying that this would make a fantastic TV series! It’s got a great hook and a compelling main character, and I can imagine all sorts of places this story could go.
If you’re in the mood for a science fiction mystery full of twists, one with a gut-punch of emotion at the end, then you’re going to want to pick up The Dispatcher.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
A great review, Tammy:). I haven’t read this one – and I’m a real Scalzi fan. Have you read Lock In? I think that’s my favourite of everything I’ve read of his to date – and that is also a crime whodunit though with a completely original context. Anyway, as soon as I can, I’ll be tracking this one down!
sjhigbee recently posted…While the Morning Stars Sing
Thanks Sarah, I found it quite different from his other books. And yes, I LOVED Lock In! I heard there’s going to be a sequel??
I’m pretty sure I bought this for my Kindle after seeing another review elsewhere. Now I’m glad I did. I’ve been trying to branch out and read some science fiction and this seemed like a good one, especially since it was a novella, to wet my feet with.
Barb (boxermommyreads) recently posted…May Musts & Mights (Didn’t I Just Do April’s???)
Heard good things about this and I have it on audio so I really need to try it.
Oh! I was not aware that the printed copy would have illustrations! I enjoyed this one in audio format (read by Zachary Quinto… WOW) but I agree with you, a print would be a perfect addition to my collection.
As for the story itself, I liked the more serious tone Scalzi adopted for this one, and would love seeing this turned into a series – there is lot of potential here!
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…GRR Martin interviews John Scalzi
This was so much fun, and so, so much potential with the world for more!!
Lisa @TenaciousReader recently posted…Hot off the Press! New SFF Releases for April 25, 2017
Couldn’t agree with you more about this novella. It was a quick, fun, and entertaining read, and it would make a great tv show!
This one looks sooo good! And I’m glad to hear it was just what you needed, too. Like you, I prefer examining the social and emotional ramifications of the SFF worldbuilding anomaly instead of getting into the science/magic behind it all….plus a mystery AND illustrations? Man, I need to get a copy of this XD
This one was really cool. A bit dark for Scalzi, but I hope he keeps pushing himself and experimenting outside the box like this. Who knows what other cool ideas he can come up with? 🙂
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum recently posted…Audiobook Review: Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn
You had me at that cover! This sounds super good. Thanks for the wonderful review:)
Laura Thomas recently posted…Witch Cake Murders by Zoe Arden ~ A Cozy Review and Giveaway
This certainly does sound like an ideal candidate for adaptation with lots of potential to branch out. I love the sound of this one – there’s such a lot of scope for this concept and I agree that sometimes it’s so much better if an author simply presents you with a world and doesn’t attempt to explain it or give reasons.
I think I would really like this.
Lynn 😀
Any time a novella can pull a strong emotional response from its readers I’m impressed! From what you’ve said about this one, it sounds like it has a sort of noir vibe to it, which I absolutely love. Personally the idea of Dispatchers wandering about would freak me out too, so I bet Tony has some really mixed feelings about his work!
Danya @ Fine Print recently posted…Review: Owl and the Electric Samurai by Kristi Charish
I haven’t read a single Scalzi but I picked this up on audiobook so maybe this should be my first! Great review. 😀
Bonnie @ For the Love of Words recently posted…Audiobook Sync: Week 3 Titles | Bronx Masquerade and Teenage Diaries (May 11 – May 17)